I have some spurs in the L4-L5 area that, until recently, gave me only occasional pain. I have gained about 10 pounds over 6 months. Now the pain in the low back - right above the "tailbone" is so severe that I can hardly walk at times. It hurts most when I'm getting up from a seated position or when I've walked for any period of time. Any help?

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When arising from a seated position, a person has a tendancy to arch the low back as the shoulders lift up. Improper body mechanics and weakness in the legs exaggerates this motion. If there are any pain genarators in the posterior column of the spine like the facet joints, the low back pain will get worst when going from sitting to standing as the stress on the posterior column increases.

Back care consists of any of several approaches used to restore or maintain a healthy, pain-free back. Low back pain is a major problem in our society. Up to 90 percent of all Americans will have a problem with back pain at some time in their lives. They will spend approximately five billion dollars annually for relief. Each year, some 200,000 back surgeries are performed, and hundreds of thousands of prescriptions are written for medications to relieve low back pain. It is estimated that one-third of all workmen's claims and 60 percent of all long-term disability payments are used for the care of back injuries. It is no wonder there is an increasing interest in the prevention and management of low back pain. The major reason low back pain is not a simple problem to solve is that each individual's situation is unique. Pain may be the result of any combination of factors, such as day-to-day activities, lifestyle, level of fitness, nutritional status and even, the aging process. ...

Definition Low back pain refers to a shooting or stabbing pain felt in your lower back. You may also have back stiffness, decreased movement of the lower back, and difficulty standing straight. Acute back pain lasts from a few days to a few weeks. See also: Low back pain - chronic Sciatica Alternative Names Backache; Low back pain; Lumbar pain; Pain - back; Acute back pain; Back pain - new; Back pain - short-term Causes, incidence, and risk factors If you are like most people, you will have at least one backache in your life. While such pain or discomfort can happen anywhere in your back, the most common area affected is your low back. This is because the low back supports most of your body's weight. Low back pain is the number two reason that Americans see their doctor -- second only to colds and flus. Many back-related injuries happen at work. But you can change that. There are many things you can do to lower your chances of getting back pain. You'll usually first feel back pain just after you...

“Sciatica” is an old world term that refers to leg pain felt down the back of the thigh into the calf and foot. What about thigh pain? What about buttock pain? Unfortunately, “sciatica” has been wrongly applied to all types and locations of leg pain. In 1948, the use of the word “sciatica” was declared “unhelpful” by a leading orthopedic specialist because it is limited to a certain location and really does not address the origin of the pain. Over the years, many older medical terms like sciatica have become archaic as the newer research technologies give doctors clearer definitions and a better understanding of the human body. Leg pain that comes from the low back is most accurately categorized as referred pain or neurogenic pain. These terms apply to all locations and address the origin of the pain. With these newer terms, the antiquated word, “sciatica”, has no place in the modern world. Sally has been waking up with right ...

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